The spokesman for Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units says the pro-government volunteer forces have managed to win back nearly four dozen villages southwest of Mosul within the past month as they are helping government forces in battles against Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

Speaking at a press conference in the capital Baghdad on Monday, Ahmad al-Assadi stated that the fighters, commonly known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha’abi, had repelled militant attacks in the northern province of Salahuddin, the Makhoul Mountains, which lie 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) north of Salahuddin’s provincial capital city of Tikrit and the western areas of Nineveh Province, Arabic-language al-Forat news agency reported.

He added that Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters had reclaimed control over 44 villages in the al-Hadar district of Mosul over the past 30 days, and killed 725 Daesh extremists during the operations.

Assadi further noted that there were 136 bombers and 8 high-profile commanders among the slain extremists.

The Iraqi military figure went on to say that Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters also defused 235 explosive devices and 30 explosive belts, cleared 12 booby-trapped houses and downed five unmanned aerial vehicles.

Hashd al-Sha’abi forces also uncovered eleven tunnels, which Daesh militants used to travel between their command and control centers in front lines.

The report came on the same day that Iraqi military aircraft conducted an aerial attack against a Daesh position in the Mushirfa district of western Mosul, killing a senior Daesh commander.

The Iraqi military intelligence identified the slain militant as Jassem al-Basari, better known by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad. He was reportedly in charge of Daesh’s military affairs in Mushirfa and Haramat districts.

Moreover, Commander of Nineveh Liberation Operation General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah said Federal Police forces, members of the rapid response forces and soldiers from the Army’s 9th Armored Division had established control over al-Oula al-Haramat neighborhood west of Mosul, and raised the Iraqi national flag over a number of buildings in the area.